Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to The Year of Magical Thinking

Joan Didion's stunning and heartbreaking meditation on grief

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. The Year of Magical Thinking launched in 2015; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   The Year of Magical Thinking▲75

   Joan Didion's classic memoir about grief and loss

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   The Last Love Song▲117

   A biography of Joan Didion

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Slouching Towards Bethlehem ▲71

   A collection of essays by the inimitable Joan Didion.

   2015 · amazon.co.uk · its alternatives →

4. 4
   The Passionate State of Mind▲54

   An insightful collection of aphorisms

   2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   A Field Guide to Getting Lost▲68

   A meditation on the pleasures and terrors of getting lost

   2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

6. 6
   A Bittersweet Season▲65

   Caring for our aging parents and ourselves

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear▲70

   Embrace your curiosity and tap into inspiration

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   The Mind Club▲67

   Who thinks, what feels and why it matters

   2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Making Ideas Happen▲75

   Overcoming the obstacles between vision and reality

   2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    The Art of Happiness▲65

    A handbook for living

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

11. 11
    Let Me Tell You A Story▲80

    A new approach to healing through the art of storytelling

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    The Heroin Diaries▲66

    A year in the life of a shattered rock star

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    The House of Stone▲71

    Anthony Shadid's moving reflections on war, family, hope

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    The Art of Stillness ▲72

    A phenomenal meditation on the values of sitting still.

    2015 · amazon.co.uk · its alternatives →

15. 15
    The UltraMind Solution▲61

    Fix your broken brain by healing your body

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Search Inside Yourself▲68

    A Google engineer's guide to mindfulness and meditation

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Thinking Outside The Box▲62

    How to Think Creatively By Applying Critical Thinking

    2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Real Happiness▲76

    The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program

    2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Thinkertoys▲76

    A handbook of creative thinking techniques

    2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Do No Harm▲55

    Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius▲103

    Stoic reflections from the greatest philosopher king

    2015 · classics.mit.edu · its alternatives →

22. 22
    The Artist's Way▲75

    A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Meditations▲68

    Spiritual and ethical reflection by Marcus Aurelius

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    The Organized Mind▲70

    Thinking straight in the age of information overload

    2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →